22lr for SHTF

[OHJEEZE]

Buddy of mine talked about this a long long time ago.

We came to the conclusion of having a 9mm and a 5.56.

Because of being nato rounds, more chances for a resupply somewhere down the road.

Now days there might be more 40s&w issued in your town.

Having some 223 / 22lr cartridge adapters with a supply of 22s would go good with the 556 rifle and 9mm hand gun combo.

 

[OHJEEZE]

I am only packing a Star Trek Phaser, and a special jumper cord to recharge from all the abandoned Teslas!

 

[Snattlerake]

Some really good points to ponder. So I've been pondering. The single six would be the side arm I would chose. I would want something concealable, I want to "fly under the radar" so to speak. Don't want to get into confrontations, avoidance and situational awareness are my mantra. Whenever I watch TV shows about being alone or survival, one thing always comes up, food or lack of it. This is where I believe the .22 or 22 mag shines, not so much is the personal protection arena. Although, a 22mag from 6 1/2 barrel could certainly deter a fellow, I would think.

Whenever I see a tv show with a survival theme and they run out of water the first thing they do is throw away the canteen. I get pissed off every time I see this.

As for the SHTF calibers, I like the 22 and a 10-22 idea maybe even a 10-22 takedown for mingling with people. A reliable 22 pistol like the Ruger would be a great choice. A 45 or 9mm if for only the reason you cannot find 45 shells would be my go-to defense weapon.

 

[alnpar]

If you had to leave town in a hurry, why wouldn't you grab a 10/22 or other 22 rifle and all the mags and ammo you could carry, vs trying to haul your 308, 5.56, 12 gauge, etc.? Obviously if you had some time and had a bugout location to haul your stuff to, you would probably take everything you could. But in a pinch, why would you reach for anything else other than a 22lr rifle, 22lr pistol, and a 9mm pistol as your emergency options?

Especially if you had multiple 22lr rifles??? Would there be an advantage to grabbing 2-3 of them and all the ammo? And if 5.56 is still favored, then the 5.56 seems more like a good option to replace 308...maybe have a mini 14 or AR in your stash but only used for longer ranges or as a camp defense rifle?

The more I think of it, I don't see 308 being of any value over 22lr and/or 5.56 in a true survival situation, unless you lived in western OK and had a crew of guys with binoculars watching your camp that you never planned to leave.

Lotta questions here, but I am just trying to see what others think.

.17 HMR Bull Barrel, or my .243

 

[alnpar]

This thread got me to wondering. Just how many of us really have a bug out bag. Ready to go.....
I know I don't and it would take me a good bit of time to find the ammo to match the gun since
the ammo is not clearly labeled as it should be. And I have no safe. Guns are in 3 different closets,
beds and who knows where. Just a thought.

Does a Bug out Plastic tub's count? Loaded with a weeks supply of Patriot food. Not so great tasting, but can survive a few days.

 

[Virtuaguyver]

22lr for sure, and if you have a suppressor, your talking about very quiet hunting. I like being able to hear after shooting so it's a big plus

 

[JR777]

Regarding the portion in red, absolutely false. I don't know who told you that but they don't know their anus from their elbow and I'd be more than happy to prove them wrong. I have subsonic loads for 7 different caliber rifles ranging from the .223 up to .444 Marlin. I'll meet them at a range, rifles, ammo and chronograph in hand. I shoot 10 rounds from each over the chrony to prove the subsonic speed. Each shot exiting the barrel and showing sub speed, they lose $100, any shot not exiting or going supersonic they win $100.....10 shots per caliber, cash on the barrelhead for each shot string.

I'm talking about attempts to make commercial subsonic 223s. Every single one has resulted in squibs. They're highly dangerous.

I can't speak for your handloads but it's a pretty big claim to say you've succeeded where commercial ammo manufacturers have failed, especially considering their ability to develop custom powders and put filler in the cases to fill up the left over dead space. If you've found the secret sauce to a safe 223 sub though you could be a rich man.

 

[OHJEEZE]

I'm talking about attempts to make commercial subsonic 223s. Every single one has resulted in squibs. They're highly dangerous.

I can't speak for your handloads but it's a pretty big claim to say you've succeeded where commercial ammo manufacturers have failed, especially considering their ability to develop custom powders and put filler in the cases to fill up the left over dead space.

You would probably have more luck with a hard cast projectile for your sub sonic 223 / 556.

Save the jacketed for regular loads!
Some of the reading I have done on the popper loads say jacketed is a no no!

Rcbs and saeco have some promising looking 223 boolit molds.

I have a small batch of the cast and checked bullets from the rcbs mold that someone made years ago I need to try.

Picked them up in a reloading stuff buy. Wish the mold would have been in that batch of stuff, but it was not!

 

[JR777]

You would probably have more luck with a hard cast projectile for your sub sonic 223 / 556.

Save the jacketed for regular loads!
Some of the reading I have done on the popper loads say jacketed is a no no!

Rcbs and saeco have some promising looking 223 boolit molds.

I have a small batch of the cast and checked bullets from the rcbs mold that someone made years ago I need to try.

Picked them up in a reloading stuff buy. Wish the mold would have been in that batch of stuff, but it was not!

I'm not sure how that would make a difference, other than leading up the grooves and making the whole thing even more dangerous. All I can say is various companies have popped in and out over the last few decades promising a safe 223 sub, and all have ended up causing documented squibs. And that's why you don't see any major ammo manufacturer offering 223 subs because they don't want the liability.

 

[cmc tom]

So, which 22LR ammo is preferable to go with your SHTF 22LR?

By luck, my ruger mk2, ruger charger and 10/22 all thrive on cci stinger ammo. Tried over a dozen brands, bullet weights and bullet types. Still plink with the bulk stuff but for best accuracy, stinger.
Buy it as I find it.